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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Daniel 5 GNT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/daniel/5.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/daniel/5-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">GNT</a> > Daniel 5</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../daniel/4.htm" title="Daniel 4">◄</a> Daniel 5 <a href="../daniel/6.htm" title="Daniel 6">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Good News Translation</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s">Belshazzar's Banquet</h3><p class="par"><span class="v27_5_1"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.1" class="v27_5_1">1</span>One night King Belshazzar invited a thousand noblemen to a great banquet, and they drank wine together. </span><span class="v27_5_2"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.2" class="v27_5_2">2</span>While they were drinking, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups and bowls which his father<a href="#fn" id="link_Dan.5.2!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> Nebuchadnezzar had carried off from the Temple in Jerusalem. The king sent for them so that he, his noblemen, his wives, and his concubines could drink out of them. </span><span class="v27_5_3"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.3" class="v27_5_3">3</span>At once the gold cups and bowls were brought in, and they all drank wine out of them </span><span class="v27_5_4"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.4" class="v27_5_4">4</span>and praised gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_5_5"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.5" class="v27_5_5">5</span>Suddenly a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster wall of the palace, where the light from the lamps was shining most brightly. And the king saw the hand as it was writing. </span><span class="v27_5_6"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.6" class="v27_5_6">6</span>He turned pale and was so frightened that his knees began to shake. </span><span class="v27_5_7"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.7" class="v27_5_7">7</span>He shouted for someone to bring in the magicians, wizards, and astrologers. When they came in, the king said to them, “Anyone who can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in robes of royal purple, wear a gold chain of honor around his neck, and be the third in power in the kingdom.” </span><span class="v27_5_8"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.8" class="v27_5_8">8</span>The royal advisers came forward, but none of them could read the writing or tell the king what it meant. </span><span class="v27_5_9"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.9" class="v27_5_9">9</span>In his distress King Belshazzar grew even paler, and his noblemen had no idea what to do.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_5_10"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.10" class="v27_5_10">10</span>The queen mother heard the noise made by the king and his noblemen and entered the banquet hall. She said, “May Your Majesty live forever! Please do not be so disturbed and look so pale. </span><span class="v27_5_11"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.11" class="v27_5_11">11</span>There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods<a href="#fn" id="link_Dan.5.11!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> in him. When your father was king, this man showed good sense, knowledge, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father,<a href="#fn" id="link_Dan.5.11!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> made him chief of the fortunetellers, magicians, wizards, and astrologers. </span><span class="v27_5_12"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.12" class="v27_5_12">12</span>He has unusual ability and is wise and skillful in interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining mysteries; so send for this man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, and he will tell you what all this means.”</span></p><h3 class="s">Daniel Explains the Writing</h3><p class="par"><span class="v27_5_13"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.13" class="v27_5_13">13</span>Daniel was brought at once into the king's presence, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, that Jewish exile whom my father the king brought here from Judah? </span><span class="v27_5_14"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.14" class="v27_5_14">14</span>I have heard that the spirit of the holy gods<a href="#fn" id="link_Dan.5.14!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> is in you and that you are skillful and have knowledge and wisdom. </span><span class="v27_5_15"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.15" class="v27_5_15">15</span>The advisers and magicians were brought in to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not discover the meaning. </span><span class="v27_5_16"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.16" class="v27_5_16">16</span>Now I have heard that you can find hidden meanings and explain mysteries. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be dressed in robes of royal purple, wear a gold chain of honor around your neck, and be the third in power in the kingdom.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_5_17"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.17" class="v27_5_17">17</span>Daniel replied, “Keep your gifts for yourself or give them to someone else. I will read for Your Majesty what has been written and tell you what it means.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_5_18"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.18" class="v27_5_18">18</span>“The Supreme God made your father Nebuchadnezzar a great king and gave him dignity and majesty. </span><span class="v27_5_19"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.19" class="v27_5_19">19</span>He was so great that people of all nations, races, and languages were afraid of him and trembled. If he wanted to kill someone, he did; if he wanted to keep someone alive, he did. He honored or disgraced anyone he wanted to. </span><span class="v27_5_20"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.20" class="v27_5_20">20</span>But because he became proud, stubborn, and cruel, he was removed from his royal throne and lost his place of honor. </span><span class="v27_5_21"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.21" class="v27_5_21">21</span>He was driven away from human society, and his mind became like that of an animal. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like an ox, and slept in the open air with nothing to protect him from the dew. Finally he admitted that the Supreme God controls all human kingdoms and can give them to anyone he chooses.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_5_22"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.22" class="v27_5_22">22</span>“But you, his son, have not humbled yourself, even though you knew all this. </span><span class="v27_5_23"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.23" class="v27_5_23">23</span>You acted against the Lord of heaven and brought in the cups and bowls taken from his Temple. You, your noblemen, your wives, and your concubines drank wine out of them and praised gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that cannot see or hear and that do not know anything. But you did not honor the God who determines whether you live or die and who controls everything you do. </span><span class="v27_5_24"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.24" class="v27_5_24">24</span>That is why God has sent the hand to write these words.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_5_25"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.25" class="v27_5_25">25</span>“This is what was written: ‘Number, number, weight, divisions.’ </span><span class="v27_5_26"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.26" class="v27_5_26">26</span>And this is what it means: <span class="it">number,</span> God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; </span><span class="v27_5_27"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.27" class="v27_5_27">27</span><span class="it">weight,</span> you have been weighed on the scales and found to be too light; </span><span class="v27_5_28"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.28" class="v27_5_28">28</span><span class="it">divisions,</span> your kingdom is divided up and given to the Medes and Persians.”<a href="#fn" id="link_Dan.5.28!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_5_29"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.29" class="v27_5_29">29</span>Immediately Belshazzar ordered his servants to dress Daniel in a robe of royal purple and to hang a gold chain of honor around his neck. And he made him the third in power in the kingdom. </span><span class="v27_5_30"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.30" class="v27_5_30">30</span>That same night Belshazzar, the king of Babylonia, was killed; </span><span class="v27_5_31"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.5.31" class="v27_5_31">31</span>and Darius the Mede, who was then sixty-two years old, seized the royal power.</span></p><a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">5.2: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">There were several kings of Babylonia between Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar. </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Father </char><char style="ft" closed="false">may mean predecessor, or the name </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Nebuchadnezzar </char><char style="ft" closed="false">may be used for Nabonidus.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">5.11: </char><char style="fq" closed="false">gods; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">or </char><char style="fq" closed="false">God.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">5.11: </char><char style="fq" closed="false">your father </char><char style="ft" closed="false">(see 5.2).</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">5.14: </char><char style="fq" closed="false">gods; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">or </char><char style="fq" closed="false">God.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">5.28: </char><char style="fk" closed="false">Persians: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">In Aramaic the word for “Persians” sounds like the word for “division.”</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 1992 American Bible Society. 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